Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are trying to trade for Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young.
There are more problems with that potential trade than there are holes in the Diamondbacks' lineup. Young is 34, plays shoddy defense, and earns his paycheck at the Ballpark in Arlington Texas -- perhaps the best hitter's park in baseball. At home, he is an awesome player, perennially contending for the batting title. On the road, he's abysmal, raking an abysmal .679 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
So why would the Diamondbacks want him?
For one, he's a big name, making the American League All-Star team six of the last seven years. Nevermind that the All-Star team is a farce: he would probably sell a lot of jerseys in Arizona.
Even though he's massively overrated, Young probably is an improvement over what the Diamondbacks have in the infield now -- at least until you consider that he's owed $16 million for the next three seasons of mediocre play. Then his value to the ballclub shrinks even further.
As one Philadelphia Phillies blogger puts it: Michael Young isn't that good at baseball. There would be no justification for a Michael Young trade from the Diamondbacks' perspective.
